My main problem to be honest isn't the actual act of stretching but the question of the warm-up.

I'll set the scene; early morning, about to get ready for work, girlfriend possibly still asleep, wooden floorboards (squeaky) and sleepdust in one of my eyes.

Now I've come across numerous ideas around this some of which include bodyweight exercises for my legs such as lunges, burpees etc, sometimes its slow motion kicks, sometimes fast kicks but often none of the above and breaking a very important rule - often just go straight into dymnamic stretches.

I have very similar problems RossKo. I wake up and the last thing I feel like is doing a warm up. Also like you there are also others in the house so it makes it hard as you do not want to wake them.Yet this is a big issue the best thing to do is motivate yourself, just think of the benefits once all the main stretching is over.Also for the noise issue go in you garden and do it (not your front garden otherwise you may get passers by looking at you strangely).I have this problem everyday although I have thought to myself that I have made up excuses for too long and from now onwards I must do something about it, even if it means getting up that extra few minutes earlier.Hope this helps

I kinda thought that I was pretty inflexible that day... That was un-warmed up. I've actually found that I get less statically flexible after a work out as compared to before. The dynamic flex gets better by the end of class though... weird eh?

Yeah don't worry Onb, you side split is not so bad, especially without a warm-up. Foundation is a bendy bugger!! Cant all be like him!

Last night and the night before I did a really good stretching session. My problems to the warm-up are sorted. I walk for 5 mins (out side of course) and then run home! I don't do it all running cos I've been told running shortens the muscle and doesn't make a really good stretch warm-up!

... I was gonna say, running is a great warm up for stretching. But really, in the morning when you're still asleep, I find jsut some light little jumps and bobs to get goin' is all i'm ready to do. A few burpies, and high knee running on the spot for a minute or so. Then into the stretches

That beign said, i've been really bad at my morning regime. I'm guessing it's fairly common for us all to have a hard time with our stretching commitments.

Quote: That beign said, i've been really bad at my morning regime. I'm guessing it's fairly common for us all to have a hard time with our stretching commitments.

I agree we all have our issues with motivation. Like most users the last thing I feel like in the morning is to do a warm up and stretch. But I just try and think to myself of all the benefits involved. I also feel much better and much more awake after a good physical morning that it helps me with work and last through the whole day.So keep up the good work and don't give up.

Quote:... I'm on the verge of having to hand up the dobok for the season here if my injuries don't get better.

Take it easy mate,

over enthusiasm can be the body's worst enemy. We probably all know how that feels. Sometimes we get it into our head that we have a weak area, or something that is letting us down and before you know it are obsessively putting way too much work into said problem. Sometimes even in so much of a hurry that you rush headlong into trying to fix it before giving much thought to the proper way to go about it. Your stretch routine looks fine to me (though i'm no expert) but maybe you should give more time to the warm-up. I know its time consuming and for some of us one of the only reasons why we don't stretch as much as we should but it is nonetheless really important. Flexibility takes time and seemingly lots of it!!

Quote:... Glad to see you have found a warm up. There is no problem with running, its cycling that you want to try and avoid.

Ahh, good point, I remember that being said in the Kurtz book, thats good news. Its not a great feeling doing something with a niggling feeling that its not the best idea for what you are trying to acheive.

Right now I've posted this, I'm going to do a LITTLE warm-up and then do some dynamic stretches. (So proud of myself lol!)Rossko

Congratulations RossKo glad to see that you are warming up. See thanks to this thread it has helped to motivate us and get us to where we should be.The weekends coming up so measurements will be in shortly. Looking forward to it seeing as both the last times I havent had time for a proper warm up and this time I feel that it is in my right mind to make time.